Sudbury News: City doctor says screen-free classrooms would benefit students

Dr. Emily Dubé is a mother of four and a family physician in Sudbury.

When her oldest daughter started school in the city, Dubé said she was shocked by the amount of screen time she got in class.

“I asked that this not be the case or that there be limits on television shows and non-educational content. We had a lot of resistance from the administration,” said Mr. Dubé.

“We were told that we were a minority of parents. I really became convinced, by talking to other parents and seeing the obvious effects of screens, that this was not the case.”

That’s when she launched the Sudbury Screen-Free Elementary Education Survey. That was two years ago and she now has the support of more than 200 parents and teachers who have completed the survey.

That includes Erin Cooney, who said she first learned about screen time at her child’s school when their school lunch returned almost untouched.

“I then learned that they were watching Netflix/YouTube videos during snack and lunch, which completely distracted my child from eating,” Cooney said.

“After talking to friends whose children attended different schools in the city, I learned that screen time while eating was a common practice. I was very surprised and disappointed. Obviously, I wanted my child to eat at school, but I also wanted him to talk to his classmates and learn to socialize.”

The school administration agreed

Fortunately, the school administration has agreed to implement measures to reduce screen time, and Cooney hopes these changes will stick.

“The administration changes regularly in each school… so I don’t know what the future holds if it’s not imposed by the board of directors or the ministry,” she said.

“I hope we can do better with the knowledge we have to ensure we give the best to our children.”

Dubé said she shared the survey results with three of the region’s four school boards, but the Rainbow District School Board declined to receive the information.

CTV News contacted the board and received the following response:

“The Rainbow District School Board strives to find a balance in the use of technology in education. The targeted use of technology to support and complement teaching and learning has many benefits. It does not replace the face-to-face instruction and interaction that occurs between teachers and students in Rainbow schools.

“As part of our efforts to provide our students with the best learning opportunities, a completely screen-free education is not a viable option. In fact, the Ministry of Education has asked school boards to integrate digital tools into math instruction. These tools allow teachers to get immediate feedback on students’ understanding of concepts.

Technological tools

“Technology tools have helped students improve their reading and math skills. Some students at Rainbow Schools require assistive technology to learn. We work diligently to ensure our students are provided with appropriate accommodations to maximize their full potential.”

Dubé said this is a huge public health problem that needs to be addressed.

“I think we need to look at what’s happening in schools and address that issue as well,” she said.

“Often this discussion shifts away from what’s happening at home. Parents feel overwhelmed and have a hard time controlling or deciding what to do with screen time. It’s not an easy decision and so we tend to focus on what’s happening at home.

“However, we know that children spend a large part of their day at school and they spend a lot of time in front of a screen,” she added.

While Dubé said she hopes the survey will improve education for children in the community, she added it is also about providing support to parents at the community level.

Click here to participate in the survey.